US tests the newest QUICKSINK maritime weapon variant in the Norwegian Sea
The low-cost, anti-ship, precision-guided 500lb class capability was launched by a USAF B-2 Spirit stealth bomber.
USS Independence pictured in the Pacific Ocean. (Photo: USN/Chief Mass Communication Specialist Shannon Renfroe)
Austal USA is to provide ‘emergent repair and continuous maintenance’ for Independence-class Littoral Combat Ships (LCSs) operating in the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean, under a new $72.51 million contract from the US Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center in Yokosuka and Singapore.
‘The contract will include a one 24-month base period beginning in January with three additional 12-month option periods,’ the DoD announced on 23 November.
‘Work will be primarily performed in Singapore, with a percentage that cannot be determined at this time in countries and ports within the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean,’ the DoD added.
If contract options are exercised, the total value of the contract will rise to $215.88 million and work will be completed by December 2026.
The USN has received 13 out of the 19 Independence-class LCS vessels on order, according to Shephard Defence Insight.
The low-cost, anti-ship, precision-guided 500lb class capability was launched by a USAF B-2 Spirit stealth bomber.
With ongoing market research to find potential shipyards for building LCUs, NAVSEA intends to issue a request for proposals for the programme next year.
While the Australian government insists the investment is predominantly aimed at strengthening the country’s defence capabilities, the upgrade also bodes well for the AUKUS pact which Australia’s defence minister said “is going well”.
The USCG exercised a $507 million contract option for the acquisition of 10 extra FRCs. This new order will raise the total number of Sentinel-class vessels procured by the service from 67 to 77.
At DSEI 2025, Red Cat outlines its expansion from UAVs into uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), positioning itself as a multi-domain defence provider spanning land, sea, and air.
The vessels are expected to deliver a major boost to Australia’s undersea warfare capabilities, with production set to start immediately.